Gram-negative enteric bacteria

Gram-negative enteric bacteria represent a broad taxonomic group of pathogens, primarily within the order Enterobacterales, that are central to the study of infectious diseases and antimicrobial resistance (StatPearls, 2023). These organisms possess a complex cell wall structure featuring an outer membrane rich in lipopolysaccharides (LPS), which functions as a selective permeability barrier against many small-molecule drugs (NIH, 2022). Clinically, they are responsible for a significant burden of disease, including complicated urinary tract infections, intra-abdominal infections, and hospital-acquired pneumonia (CDC, 2019). From a drug development perspective, they are not a single molecular target but rather a class of organisms targeted by various classes of antibiotics such as carbapenems, cephalosporins, and aminoglycosides (PubMed, 2021). The emergence of multi-drug resistant (MDR) and carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) has created an urgent need for novel therapeutic agents with unique mechanisms of action (WHO, 2020). Consequently, research in this area focuses on overcoming efflux pumps, bypassing outer membrane barriers, and inhibiting conserved bacterial enzymes essential for survival.

Other names

EnterobacteriaceaeEnterobacteralesEnteric Gram-negative bacilliColiforms

Inhibition of cell wall synthesis, inhibition of protein synthesis, inhibition of DNA replication, and disruption of the outer bacterial membrane.